Kerr sad to see Warriors trade Wanamaker, will miss Chriss

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The Warriors didn't make a blockbuster trade before the noon PT deadline on Thursday, but they did ship out two players coach Steve Kerr was fond of.

Guard Brad Wanamaker, who had big fans in Kerr and rookie guard Nico Mannion, was traded to the Charlotte Hornets, while injured center Marquese Chriss was dealt to the San Antonio Spurs.

The Warriors didn't get much back in return, other than luxury tax relief and open roster spots.

After the Warriors' 141-119 loss at the hands of the Kings, Kerr finally was able to comment on the trades after the league made both official.

"I'm happy for Brad," Kerr told reporters on a video conference call. "I think it's a great opportunity for him, he'll be closer to his family. There should be minutes for him, presumably in Charlotte that weren't there for him here. So I think it's a really good move. I talked to him and he's happy about the opportunity. And I really appreciated Brad's professionalism, the way he handled himself day after day. The kind of teammate he is, he's a real pro. So sad to see him go, but happy for him."

After coming over from the Boston Celtics in the offseason, Wanamaker was expected to fill the backup point guard role behind Steph Curry. And while the 31-year-old played over 16 minutes per game for the first two months, his playing time vanished at the beginning of March. Eventually, he was replaced in the rotation by Mannion.

Now the Philadelphia native gets a fresh start on a Charlotte team that just lost No. 3 overall draft pick LaMelo Ball to a fractured wrist.

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As for Chriss, he isn't expected to play this season after suffering a fractured leg during a scrimmage after the second game of the season.

While the Warriors liked him, Chriss is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

"The [Chriss trade] is a really tough one," Kerr said. "We love Marquese. He really improved last year and had a great season for us and he's beloved in the locker room. He put in a lot of work. Obviously the injury was devastating for him this year. But this is the NBA and business is business, and so we understand. Marquese understands. We spoke today and I know a lot of his teammates talked to him too. We'll really miss him and wish him the best."

It's unclear at the moment what the Warriors will do with the two open roster spots. They could use them to sign players that get bought out by their teams, or they could convert two-way players Mannion and Juan Toscano-Anderson to guaranteed contracts.

RELATED: Grading Warriors' Wanamaker, Chriss trades

The trade deadline is always tough because teams often have to say goodbye to players that they really like and fit in well in the locker room.

Kerr thought highly of Wanamaker and the whole organization had high hopes for Chriss before his injury.

Now, both are starting the next chapters in their NBA careers.

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